


Seven seconds

by iJulie05



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fix-It, M/M, Post-Canon Fix-It, Stucky - Freeform, Time Travel Fix-It, avengers end game, post-end game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-02-04 13:37:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18605605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iJulie05/pseuds/iJulie05
Summary: [POST ENDGAME]After Steve returned all the infinity stones, he had idea in his mind, but then he realized of the consequences of his actions and his feelings.





	Seven seconds

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to know 4 things: 1-It's 3 am; 2- I'm drunk 3-English is not my mother tongue so if you see a mistakes, corrections are more than welcome 4- THERE IS NO WAY THAT STEVE MAKE A DECISION WITHOUT CONSIDER THE WELL-BEING OF BUCKY.

Seven seconds

                Bucky knew something was off with Steve when he arrived through the portal. When he returned from whatever they were, he was again in Wakanda but Steve wasn’t. Everybody looked so confused, Okoye went to they encountered and was crying. He had never seen her cry before but it were tears of disbelieve and happiness and then he knew that the time has passed. Five years, he latter knew. When the news that Steve and the Avengers were fighting against Thanos again, Bucky felt fear of losing him. He knew Steve so well. Probably spent those years trying to make people move on, but in his mind probably were recapping the fight against Thanos over and over again, trying to figure out what was the crucial moment that decided that they were the losers. But even after the battle, after their victory the feeling that something was off with Steve remain in his bones and skin.

                The Tony’s funeral was uncomfortable for him. He didn’t seem appropriated to be there, but everyone insisted that it was ok. The days passed and everyone were trying to continue with their lives, he tried too, but Bucky didn’t feel it was the same Steve that he knew. Even after the events in Washington when they met again in Bucharest, it was easy to reconnect with him, but now it wasn’t. Natasha was gone and he didn’t have a strong relationship with the people that survived Thanos´ genocide so he couldn’t figure out what it was wrong with Steve until the day that he had to return the infinity stones to their times.

                Just one look to Steve’s eyes and Bucky knew what he was planning. He saw Sam and Bruce but apparently he was the only one that knew his intentions. He felt like someone was rip his guts off. He didn’t want to lose Steve, they have defied the destiny, the probabilities over and over again and they were always together, and all this time he wanted to believe that it has mean something, maybe something so simple and yet so complicated like they were soulmates.

In the past days, Bucky had wished to have the chance to tell Steve all his feelings. Those complicated feelings that he felt for him, but the time never seemed appropriated and now it was the worst time in the history. What he could say? “Stay with me” Or maybe ‘Hey, Steve…Do you remember that time we went to fish to Lamoka Lake and you fell of the boat by the way I love you, I was hoping that now that the universe seems finally give us a few years of peace maybe we could try to live a good life together. T’challa and Shuri maybe insinuated that we could live in Wakanda if we want.’

No, Bucky truly wished that Steve could found peace and looking at him at that moment, he knew that Steve already had someone in his mind. For that reason he just tell him a few words and hoped that Steve could see in his eyes what he could never told him. Bucky saw Steve climb the stairs and wanted to stop him, but he needed to let him go. Maybe in the past the time was simpler and it help him to heal all the scars of his souls. Also Bucky knew that Steve owed a dance and that it was his biggest regret: To broke that promise.

He smiled at him one last time and watched him disappeared in front on him. Bruce started to count and Bucky wanted to tell him that it was a wasted of time. When Bruce said five and Steve didn’t appear something in Bucky’s soul broke. He didn’t knew he had some hope remaining until Bruce said that stupid number and freaked out when Steve didn’t appeared.

A bitter smile appeared in Bucky’s face. He turned his back but then there was a sound. “Steve! OMG I thought that I didn’t repair the machine correctly.” Said Bruce.

Bucky couldn’t move. No, it was impossible. Steve would never…

“Where are you going, Buck?”

Bucky turned slowly and there he was, like an apparition or a miracle. Steve smiled shyly because Bucky knew that something happened to him. It was something difficult to put in words but something about his appearance and his eyes changed in those seven seconds that felt like centuries to Bucky.

“Did you return all the stones?” asked Bruce.

“Did you have any problems?” asked Sam.

“No, don’t worry. I believe that everything will be alright” said Steve.

“Well, now only we need to disconnect this thing” said Bruce.

“I’ll help you” said Sam that make a gesture to Bucky.

“Wanna go inside” asked Steve before Bucky could said anything.

They started to walk slowly in the small forest, a gentle breeze moved Bucky’s hair from his place.

“I thought that you owed a dance to someone.” said Bucky.

“Yes but I managed to arrive on time.” Said Steve with a nostalgic smile.

“You didn’t step on her, right?”

“Just once, then she took the lead, but now I can dance better.” Steve admitted a little embarrassed.

“It is hard to believe.” said Bucky without stop looking Steve, because he was afraid that Steve would disappear if he dares to look something else.

“I can show you…I promise not to step on your feet.”

“Steve…” Bucky cut him off “Why did you come back?”

Steve had all this time the gentle expression that he always had for Bucky, but when he heard his words a shadow of sadness appear in his eyes “You didn’t want to? I thought…”

“Of course I wanted! But you didn’t want it the same!” Bucky exclaimed “Tell me I’m wrong.”

“No, you aren’t wrong.”

“Then what happened?” Bucky asked “You stepped to many times in agent Carter’s feet? You had the chance to have the life that you wished for so long. I know she was your first love. You could have stayed in the past and no one would even dare to tell you that you shouldn’t do it.”

“For that reason you didn’t tell me anything?”

“Yes…Steve, I just want you to be happy.”

“But if I stayed in the past you would be here alone.” Said Steve.

“No, I have Sam, Wanda and the others” Bucky said. He tried to sound convinced, but something it was breaking in him again because he didn’t want to lie him. He wanted to show him how happy was that he still got him in his life.

“Don’t make me regret my choice, Buck” whispered Steve “I promised you be with you ‘till the end of the line.”

“For that reason you came back? For a promise?”

“Why are you so angry?” asked Steve confused.

“Because I just want your happiness! And now you are here and…”

“Can’t I be happy here?” Steve interrupted him “ _With you…_ ”

Bucky looked him confused like the time travel broke something in Steve’s mind “I’m not Peggy Carter…”

“If I wanted Peggy I would have stayed in the past.”

“But…”

“I made my choice, Buck. I couldn’t stay there. Don’t get me wrong, that it would have been the easy choice. I was tempted to do it. After the dance I stayed a whole year but I still missed you, I couldn’t stop thinking in you not even one day. I had her, but I still missed you. Then one day I saw the guy that Peggy was supposed married in the future and then I realize all the things that I could undo just for my selfishness…”

“But you loved her.”

“I know it and she knows it now. We had a great year together, but every night I thought that I still have one person that I didn’t have the chance to tell all my feelings. I lived all this years with the regret of not telling Peggy in a proper way my feelings for her, now I have mended that mistake, but if I had stayed in the past I would never be able to rescue you, I would never be able to see you the way you are now. Then I realized that I lived all those years fine without Peggy, but I could not live without you, those five years, after Thanos’ fight, were the worst torture that I ever have to endure.”

 “Steve…”

“It took me a while understand your last words, it was a farewell, but most important it took me a while to understand the way you looked me. For some reason, that image always came back to me over and over again before sleep and then one night I finally understood what you tried to tell me without words.”

“You know it?”

“For what other reason I’ll be here right now if I didn’t believe that we have a chance to be happy together.”

Bucky smiled shyly. It was a bit embarrassing because in the past he was the one that always confessed his feeling, but what he felt for Steve was something so strong that he felt grateful to Steve for make it easier for him, because he would never be able to put it in words. “Are you sure? You still can go back.”

“Totally. I owed to Peggy a dance, but I owe you all my life, Bucky.”

 “Thanks…for return to me.” Said as he walk closer to Steve.

“You did the same a few years ago and there is no way I will miss the opportunity of spend the rest of my days with you” said while he caressed Bucky’s cheek.

“Till’ the end of the line?” Whispered Bucky.

“Till’ the end of the line” answered Steve before kissed him softly.

What is in the past he cannot change it. He will never be able to take all the pain of Bucky away, but maybe there is a chance for them in this time, a chance of built something. Maybe they were there not only to save the world but also to save each other the many times as it take.


End file.
